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Biggest mistake by a team?

No but it speaks volumes of the Flames rebuild at the time. Button was/is suppose to be a good scout and talent evaluator and he didn't think Marty was that good. It speaks volumes for our rough late 90's early 2000's.

Martin St Louis did not become a valuable NHL asset until his 27/28 year old season.
In hindsight it was obviously the wrong decision to waive him but he was given NHL opportunity in Calgary and simply did not produce (4 goals in 69 games..). By the time he was waived he was 24 years old and had looked completely ineffective at the NHL level.

MSL's career trajectory was a complete anomaly. Button was the one who initially spotted his talent, and gave him the opportunity to become an NHL player. He simply wasn't ready at that time. It sucks in hindsight to lose such a talent, but it was hardly a poor decision at the time and every other GM in the league passed up on him as well.

This isn't the biggest but for the Wings it's the mistake that just keeps giving.

In 2008 they waive Quincey to keep Lebda and Meech (I know, I'm in the future too!) losing him for nothing, then give up a first round pick to get him back 4 years later in a three way deal with the Lightning and Avs.

According you which team did the biggest mistake on all time by waived a player?? That team though that the player in question was bad and after other team grabbed him he became a very good player?? I have some case in my head like : Phoenix- Briere, Vancouver-Grabner…

Briere wasn't waived, he was traded for Chris Gratton. Gratton was seen by many to be a poor man's Eric Lindros but didn't have much of a work ethic and flopped large on the Coys.

The best part was that nobody in the 2000 Expansion Draft wanted St. Louis either. I don't blame Minny because their style wouldn't have fit him but Columbus could have sure used St. Louis. TBL just got lucky here. St. Louis was on waivers and they didn't want him either.

Martin St Louis did not become a valuable NHL asset until his 27/28 year old season.
In hindsight it was obviously the wrong decision to waive him but he was given NHL opportunity in Calgary and simply did not produce (4 goals in 69 games..). By the time he was waived he was 24 years old and had looked completely ineffective at the NHL level.

MSL's career trajectory was a complete anomaly. Button was the one who initially spotted his talent, and gave him the opportunity to become an NHL player. He simply wasn't ready at that time. It sucks in hindsight to lose such a talent, but it was hardly a poor decision at the time and every other GM in the league passed up on him as well.

You're right waiving him wasn't the mistake it was not resigning him. We were rebuilding and he had ripped up every league he had played in and while 18 points in 56 games isn't great for a 24 year old rookie it isn't terrible either. Given where we were in terms of the rebuild he should have absolutely been kept.

According you which team did the biggest mistake on all time by waived a player?? That team though that the player in question was bad and after other team grabbed him he became a very good player?? I have some case in my head like : Phoenix- Briere, Vancouver-Grabner…

That was intentional. Brian Burke promised Hiller he wouldn't stay in the minors, and couldn't find a trade for Bryzgalov, so he simply waived him with the hope someone would take him. Not great asset management, but it wasn't an egregious oversight either.

While I assume Hiller was the reason Burke could be comfortable giving up Bryz for free, the reason he waived him was that he promised Bryz he would make sure he would move him to give him a chance to become a #1 elsewhere. At that point he was stuck behind Giggy.

Most of these don't fit the OP's criteria. MSL, Briere, Pominville, etc. weren't claimed by anyone

Quote:

Originally Posted by MXPX

According you which team did the biggest mistake on all time by waived a player?? That team though that the player in question was bad and after other team grabbed him he became a very good player?? I have some case in my head like : Phoenix- Briere, Vancouver-Grabner…